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'Insufficient Evidence' to Prosecute Anyone For Ethics Panel Failure: Feds

By Jeff Mays | January 11, 2016 3:51pm
 U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said there is
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said there is "insufficient evidence to prove a federal crime" in his investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to dismantle a commission investigating corruption in Albany.
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DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

NEW YORK CITY — U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said there is "insufficient evidence to prove a federal crime" in his investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to dismantle a commission investigating corruption in Albany.

“After a thorough investigation of interference with the operation of the Moreland Commission and its premature closing, this Office has concluded that, absent any additional proof that may develop, there is insufficient evidence to prove a federal crime," Bharara said in a statement.

Cuomo dismantled the commission he appointed in 2014 after lawmakers agreed to a package of ethics reforms.

Since then, Bharara has successfully convicted two of the most powerful legislators in Albany, former Speaker Sheldon Silver and former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, on corruption charges.

“We were always confident there was no illegality here, and we appreciate the U.S. Attorney clarifying this for the public record," Elkan Abramowitz, counsel for Cuomo's executive chamber, said in a statement.

Bharara said that his work in relation to the commission is not over.

"We continue to have active investigations related to substantive inquiries that were being conducted by the Moreland Commission at the time of its closure," Bharara said.